Sign holder



H. FRESHOUR SIGN HOLDER Filed Nov. 10, 1955' April 30, 1957 IN V EN TOR.binge flees/V008.

United States SIGN HOLDER Harry Freshour, Detroit, Mich.

Application November 10, 1955, Serial No. %,164

5 Claims. (Cl. 40-125) This invention relates to a signholder, and moreparticularly to a novel type of foldably collapsible sign adapted forremovable positioning therein of a pair of signboards.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a pair of uprighthingedly interconnected signboard frames adapted for angular adjustmentwith respect to each other about a central upright support and with thesaid frame so constructed as to slidably receive and retain therein themarginal flange of a signboard.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a novelsign holder consisting of an upright central shaft and a pair of outerand upright shafts spaced therefrom and adapted for projection into theground, together with a series of spaced, intersecting andinterconnected bars respectively coplanar with each of the outer shaftsfor defining therewith a hollow sign frame.

It is the further object of the present invention to form each of thesaid sign frames with a continuous inner channel for removably securingand supporting a signboard.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the present sign holder.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view on an enlarged scale, and partiallybroken away for illustration, of the central hinge portions of the saidsign holder.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary and partially broken away side elevation of theouter portion of one of said sign frames.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely apreferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments arecontemplated within the scope of the claims hereinafter set forth.

The present sign holder includes an upright central shaft 12, and a pairof upright outer shafts 11 and 13, all being pointed as at 14 tofacilitate easy projection thereof into the ground for supporting thesign holder in the position shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 4, a continuous channel 15 is formed within the innersurface of both of the shafts 11 and 13.

There are a plurality of spaced, intersecting and interconnected bars16, 17 and 18, one set lying in the plane of shaft 11 and another setlying in the plane of shaft 13. These bars and the said shafts cooperateto define a pair of hollow frames adapted to supportably receive therectangular signboards 3.9 and 20 in the manner hereafter described.

The inner surfaces of each of the bars 16, 17 and 13, have formedtherein the continuous channels 15, as shown in the drawing, whichchannels are coplanar with and cooperate with the corresponding channels15 formed in the outer shafts 11 and 13, thereby providing a continuousgroove for receiving the peripheral edges of the 2 respective signboards19 and ZDafidfoi-fftaimiigflfe same within the two angularly relatedframes. n I A socket 21 having formed therein a pair of right angularlyrelated intersecting slots 22 and 24 is moun ed upon the upper end ofeach of theshaftsj 11 and 13., The slot 22, Fig. 5, cooperativelyreceives the outef nd, of bar 16, as also shown in Fig. 4.The'intersecti'ng' slot 24 receives the upper end of shaft 11 or shaft12, as'thl'e' case may be. The upper ends of the shafts 11' and 13 haveprojections 25 of reduced dimension which apted to be cooperativelyprojected within ajcor sp .cess 23 formed in the under surface of thebar its outer end, which recess is larger thanthe 15. Accordingly, withthe said projection 2 1n relation with respect to bar 16, i. e,, inint'efrlgic km tion, and with the said socket 21 secured upon sh or 13,as by the set screw 26, there is thus p'r'ovr 211a fixed assembledrelation between the re'spectivei shafts 11 and 13, the sockets 21 attheir upper ends and the intersecting bars 16. I, r There are alsoprovided another pair of sec'e'ts 27, which have slots 28 extendingtherethrioughadapted to receive central portions of the shafts ll andSaid sockets have set screws 29, Fig. 4, for securing'the' said socketswith respect to shafts 11'and'13. p

Sockets 2'7 also have the right angularly' rel secting slot 30 formedtherein adapted to coop ely receive the outer ends of the lower bars 17in the manher shown in Fig. 4. p s Sockets 27, as well as the socketsZLhdV QfGrnied therein the internal slots 31 of the same: de abovedescribed slots 15 and wh'ich' arec'op with and which cooperatetherewithffor" rece portions of the respective signboard's 19 p A pairof vertically spaced sockets 32am ounted the upper and lower endsrespectivelyof the"upright 18 Whose respective ends are'receivejd'withlformed in saidsockets. .Saidsockets a w, t angularly related slots 36adapted re cooperatively receive the inner ends of the parallel spacedbars 16 and 17, as shown in Fig. 2. Suitable set screws 37 extendthrough portions of the sockets 32 for frictional or operativeengagement with the bars 16 and 17 for securing the frame constructionin assembled relation.

Each of the sockets 32 are provided with the depressed laterally relatedcylindrical bosses 33 which may be defined as hinge elements and whichhave upright apertures 34 extending therethrough which receive portionsof the central shaft 12. In the preferred embodiment of the invention,set screws 35 extend through the hinge elements 33 for operativeengagement with the central shaft 12.

There is an additional pair of vertically spaced sockets 37 having slots38 therein adapted to cooperatively receive the upper and lower endsrespectively of the upright right hand rod 18, Fig. 2. Sockets 39 alsohave the right angularly related slots 36 adapted to cooperativelyreceive the inner ends of the parallel spaced bars 16 and 17 which forma part of the right hand frame of Fig. 1. Suitable set screws 37 arealso employed as shown.

Each of the sockets 39 terminates in the laterally related bosses orelevated hinge elements 40 which are transversely apertured at 41 forcooperatively receiving spaced portions of central shaft 12. The hingeelements an furthermore cooperatively engage and register with hingeelements 33 of the sockets 32 to thereby establish a hinged relationbetween the two frames which support the signboards 19 and 20.

In this case the hinge elements 40 are swivelly mounted upon the shaft12. Accordingly, the said frames are piv otally adjustable with respectto each other and will normally be arranged in upright planes at anangle to each other, preferably less than 180 degrees. is completed bythe top cap 42 which is apertured at 43 to receive the upper end ofshaft 12, and is secured thereto by the set screw 44. V

There'is thus defineda pair of vertically spaced first sockets 32 forthe left hand frame and a second pair of vertically spaced first sockets39 for the right hand frame. 'Each of the said pairs of first socketshave extensions or cooperating hinge elements to thereby establish apivotal relation with respect to shaft 12.

' There is also provided upon each of the said outer shafts 11 and 13 apair of vertically spaced second sockets 21 and 27, respectively, foreach frame, which sockets, while mounted upon the respective shafts 11and 13, cooperative ly receive the outer ends of the parallel spacedhorizontally disposed bars 16 and 17 to thereby complete the sign holderconstruction.

To remove the signs 19 or 2! from the frame, this may be done byloosening the set screws 3'? shown in Fig. 2, and withdrawing the shafts16 and 17 from the respective sockets 32 which will permit the saidsigns to he slid outwardly. The sign may also be removed by looseningthe lower set screw 37 and moving the lower socket 32 downwardly untilupright rods 18 may be manually disengaged from the sockets. By slightlyspringing the parts 16 and 17 apart, the sign may be removed.

L Having described my invention, reference should now be had to theclaims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

Iclaim:

I 1. A sign holder comprising an upright central shaft, a pair ofupright outer shafts upon opposite sides of the central shaft, therebeing an elongated channel formed in the inner surfaces of the outershafts, a. plurality of spaced, intersecting and interconnected barscoplanar with each louter shaft and defining therewith a pair of hollowframes, the corresponding inner surfaces of said bars having channelstherein cooperable with said outer shaft channels and adapted to receivethe marginal edges of a signboard post-- tioned within each frame, andcooperating hinge means mounted upon the adjacent inner upright edges ofsaid frames and extending over said central shaft.

The assembly 2. The sign holder of claim 1, a pair of vertically spacedfirst sockets for each frame mounted on said central shaft with rightangularly related intersecting slots therein adapted to supportablyreceive the corresponding ends of said plurality of bars, and a pair ofvertically spaced second sockets for each frame secured upon an outershaft, supportably receiving some of said bars.

3. The sign holder of claim I, a pair of vertically spaced first socketsfor each frame mounted on said central shaft with right angularlyrelated intersecting slots therein adapted to supportably receive thecorresponding ends of said plurality of bars, a pair of verticallyspaced second sockets for each frame secured upon an outer shaft,supportably receiving some of said bars, and vertically registeringapertured hinge leaf extensions projecting laterally from said firstsockets positioned over said central shaft.

4. The sign holder of claim 1, a pair of vertically spaced first socketsfor each frame mounted on said central shaft with right angularlyrelated intersecting slots therein adapted to supportably receive thecorresponding ends of said plurality of bars, a pair of verticallyspaced second sockets for each frame secured upon an outer shaft,supportably receiving some of said bars, and vertically registeringapertured hinge leaf extensions projecting laterally from said firstsockets positioned over said central shaft, the hinge elements of one ofsaid pair of first sockets being secured to said central shaft and thehinge elements of the other of said pair of first sockets being swivellymounted on said central shaft.

5. The sign holder of claim 1, a pair of vertically spaced first socketsfor each frame mounted on said central shaft with right angularlyrelated intersecting slots therein adapted to supportably receive thecorresponding ends of said plurality of bars, and a pair of verticallyspaced second sockets for each frame secured upon an outer shaft,supportably receiving some of said bars, each of said sockets having aslot within its inner surface coplanar with and cooperating with saidchannels.

No references cited.

